My Deer Garden

Plant record · Bulb

Is Winter Aconite deer resistant?

Eranthis hyemalis

Yellow winter aconite flowers with green ruff
Photo, CC BY-SA 3.0. Via Wikimedia Commons.
Damage step 1 of 4 · Rarely Damaged

Yes. Deer almost always leave this alone.

Type
Bulb
Hardiness
Zones 3–7
Light
Part shade
Height
3–6 in
Bloom
Spring and Winter
Maintenance
Low
Toxic to
dogs and cats

Damage steps follow a published university field scale. How plants are rated.

About Winter Aconite

Yellow buttercup flowers in a green ruff, often the first color of the year. The dry tubers establish badly, so buy them growing or in the green if you can.

Soil and care

Soil pH
6 to 7.5
Drainage
Consistently moist
Water
Moderate
Spacing
4 to 6 in apart
Growth rate
Slow
Maintenance
Low

Similar to Winter Aconite

Other bulbs with the same deer rating.

Where Winter Aconite grows

Hardy across 48 states on zone range alone. Mountain and coastal areas sit outside the ranges used here, so check your own zone before ordering. Select any state, including one it will not grow in, for what is resistant there.

Alabama — hardy here. Zones 7 to 9.Alaska — hardy here. Zones 1 to 8.Arizona — hardy here. Zones 5 to 10.Arkansas — hardy here. Zones 6 to 8.California — hardy here. Zones 7 to 10.Colorado — hardy here. Zones 3 to 6.Connecticut — hardy here. Zones 5 to 7.Delaware — hardy here. Zones 7 to 7.District of Columbia — hardy here. Zones 7 to 8.Florida — not hardy here. Zones 8 to 11.Georgia — hardy here. Zones 7 to 9.Hawaii — not hardy here. Zones 9 to 12.Idaho — hardy here. Zones 3 to 7.Illinois — hardy here. Zones 5 to 7.Indiana — hardy here. Zones 5 to 6.Iowa — hardy here. Zones 4 to 6.Kansas — hardy here. Zones 5 to 7.Kentucky — hardy here. Zones 6 to 7.Louisiana — not hardy here. Zones 8 to 10.Maine — hardy here. Zones 3 to 6.Maryland — hardy here. Zones 6 to 8.Massachusetts — hardy here. Zones 5 to 7.Michigan — hardy here. Zones 4 to 6.Minnesota — hardy here. Zones 3 to 5.Mississippi — hardy here. Zones 7 to 9.Missouri — hardy here. Zones 5 to 7.Montana — hardy here. Zones 3 to 6.Nebraska — hardy here. Zones 4 to 6.Nevada — hardy here. Zones 4 to 9.New Hampshire — hardy here. Zones 3 to 6.New Jersey — hardy here. Zones 6 to 7.New Mexico — hardy here. Zones 4 to 9.New York — hardy here. Zones 4 to 7.North Carolina — hardy here. Zones 6 to 8.North Dakota — hardy here. Zones 3 to 4.Ohio — hardy here. Zones 5 to 6.Oklahoma — hardy here. Zones 6 to 8.Oregon — hardy here. Zones 6 to 9.Pennsylvania — hardy here. Zones 5 to 7.Rhode Island — hardy here. Zones 6 to 7.South Carolina — hardy here. Zones 7 to 9.South Dakota — hardy here. Zones 3 to 5.Tennessee — hardy here. Zones 6 to 8.Texas — hardy here. Zones 6 to 9.Utah — hardy here. Zones 4 to 9.Vermont — hardy here. Zones 3 to 5.Virginia — hardy here. Zones 6 to 8.Washington — hardy here. Zones 5 to 8.West Virginia — hardy here. Zones 5 to 7.Wisconsin — hardy here. Zones 3 to 5.Wyoming — hardy here. Zones 3 to 6.
Hardy on zone rangeNot hardy — still linked
Choose a state from the listeasier on a phone

Common questions about Winter Aconite

Is Winter Aconite deer resistant?
Winter Aconite (Eranthis hyemalis) is rated Rarely Damaged, step 1 of 4 on the damage scale this site uses. Deer almost always leave this alone.
What hardiness zones does Winter Aconite grow in?
Winter Aconite is hardy in USDA zones 3 to 7. Outside that range it will either not survive winter or will struggle with summer heat.
Does Winter Aconite grow in shade?
Yes. Winter Aconite tolerates part shade, which makes it one of the options for a shaded bed where deer also browse.
How big does Winter Aconite get?
Mature height is roughly 3–6 in. Growth rate is slow.
Is Winter Aconite toxic to dogs or cats?
Yes. The ASPCA lists Winter Aconite as toxic to dogs and cats. Site it away from where animals graze, or choose something else if you have a dog that chews.

Browse from here

Every list Winter Aconite belongs to.

All bulbs·Rarely damaged·Part shade plants

Hardy in these zones

Zone 3·Zone 4·Zone 5·Zone 6·Zone 7

Damage ratings follow the four-step field scale published by Rutgers University. Growing data is compiled from state extension sources and still being verified record by record. Last reviewed .